Means for preventing the spreading of rails



may 13 19240 1,494.229

- H. E. FAREWELL MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE SPREADING 0F RAILS Filed Nov9, 1923 H 5 FARE/WILL,

fiatented ay 13, 1924.

ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE SPREADING OF RAILS.

Application filed November 9, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARLEY EDGAR FARE- WELL, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, and a resident of the village of Cedardale, in the countyof ()ntario, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Means for Preventing the Spreading ofRails, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for preventing thespreading of rails and the object of the invention is to devise a simplemeans insertable between the rails of a railway track to hold themdefinitely in position on the ties so that there will be no danger ofsuch rails spreading under any circumstances and it consists essentiallyof a bar like plate divided into two portions, interlocking meansbetween the portions and means formed integral with each portion andbearing against the outer face of each rail of the track, as hereinaftermore particularly explained.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my device showing it applied to a railway tieand rails, the rails being illustrated in section.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through my device, railway rails andthe upper portion of the tie.

In the drawings like characters of refer ence indicate correspondingparts in each figure.

1 indicates a railway tie. 2 and 3 are the rails of a railway track. 4and 5 are two portions or members of my rail spacing device providedwith broadened ends 6 and 7 forming beds forv the rails 2 and 3. Theportions 6 and 7 are provided with orifices 8 and 9 located at theinside of the bottom flange of the rail and the orifices 10 and 11.located at the outer sidz'e of the bottom flange of the rail. Theorifices 8, 9,, 10 and 11 are provided for the insertion of spikes 12,13, 14 and 15 which extend down through such orifices into the tie andengaging the bottom flange of the corresponding rail. Each member 4 and5 is provided at its outer end with a rib-like boss 16 formed inte graltherewith and located centrally thereof and provided with a notchedrecess 17 into which the outer portion of the bottom flange of the railfits. The vertical inner edge of Serial No. 673,825.

each portion 16 bears against the vertical flange of the rail and theupper edge of the portion 16 is provided at its extreme inner end with aslightly recessed inner portion 18 into which the lower portion of theball of the rail fits, as is clearly indicated in Figure 2.

By this means a firm support is provided against the outward movement ofthe rail. The inner end of the member 5 is provided with a tongue 19terminating in a head 20 which is preferably in the form of a segment ofa circle. The inner end of the portion 4 is provided with acorrespondingly shaped orifice 21 into which the head 20 fits, suchorifice being provided in the extension neck 22- into which the tongue19 fits. By this means the portions 4 and 5 are firmly interlockedtogether against longitudinal movement. The portions 4 and 5 are alsoeach provided with lateral notches 23 and 24 in one edge thereof andwith lateral notches 25 and 26 in the opposite edge thereof throughwhich spikes 27, 28, 29 and 30 extend into the tie.

From this description it will be seen that I have devised a very simpledevice which will securely hold the rails of the railway track indefinite spaced relation so that they cannot move under anycircumstances from such definite spaced position, even though the tieitself were partially destroyed.

What I claim as my invention is.

A device for preventing the spreading of rails, comprising a plate likebar member adapted to be supported longitudinally of the railway tie andbeneath the rails of a railway track and divided intermed-iately of itslength into two portions, a headed tongue extending inward centrallyfrom the inner end of one member and a correspondingly formed andlocated recess in the inner end of the other member into which thetongue and head fit when the inner ends of the two portions of the platelike bar member are in an abutting position, means for securing the barmember to the tie, and means extending from the ends of the bar memberadapte to bear against the outer face of each track rail.

HARLEY E. FAREWELL;

